Abdulrab Rasul Sayyaf

Abdulrab Rasul Sayyaf
عبدالرب رسول سیف
Sayyaf in 1984
Born1946 (age 77–78)
Paghman, Kabul Province, Kingdom of Afghanistan
Occupation(s)Politician, former Mujahideen leader
Known forAfghan Jihad
Opposition to the Taliban[1]

Abdulrab Rasul Sayyaf[2][3][4][5] (/ɑːbˈduːl rəˈsuːl saɪˈjɑːf/ ⓘ ahb-DOOL ra-b rə-SOOL sy-YAHF; Pashto: عبدالرب رسول سیف; born 1946) is an exiled Afghan politician and former mujahideen commander. He took part in the war against the Marxist–Leninist People's Democratic Party of Afghanistan (PDPA) government in the 1980s, leading the Afghan mujahideen faction Ittehad-al-Islami (Islamic Union).

Compared to other Afghan mujahideen leaders, Sayyaf was closely tied with international mujahideen from the Arab world.[6] During the Soviet-Afghan War he had close relations with Saudi Arabia and helped mobilize Arab jihadist volunteers for the mujahideen forces.[7]

Internally, Sayyaf was allied with the Rabbani government in the 1990s until the rise of the Taliban militia; this led to him joining the Northern Alliance in opposition of the Taliban,[8] despite his close relationship with Saudi Arabia that supported the Taliban. In 2005 after the creation of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, Sayyaf's Islamic Union was converted into a political party and he was elected as a member of the Afghan Parliament, where he maintained political influence.[9] Following the Taliban capture of Kabul in 2021, Sayyaf fled to exile in New Delhi, India.[10]

  1. ^ Shah, Amir (23 February 2007). "Former Mujahedeen Stage Rally in Kabul". Washington Post. Associated Press. Retrieved 28 February 2016.
  2. ^ "Ustad Abdul Rasul Sayyaf". GlobalSecurity.org. Retrieved 28 February 2016.
  3. ^ Azadi, RFE/RL's Radio. "Salafi Head To Run For Afghan President". RadioFreeEurope/RadioLiberty. Retrieved 27 April 2024.
  4. ^ "Abdulrab Rasul Sayyaf - man who brought bin Laden to Afghanistan". RFI. 17 March 2014. Retrieved 27 April 2024.
  5. ^ "Abdul Rab Rasul Sayyaf". 22 September 2023. Retrieved 27 April 2024.
  6. ^ "Afghanistan: Political Parties and Insurgent Groups 1978-2001" (PDF). Australian Government. 2014. Retrieved 22 March 2023.
  7. ^ "Man of the mountain". The Economist. 1 February 2014. ISSN 0013-0613. Retrieved 30 May 2019.
  8. ^ Layden-Stevenson, Justice. This Party youngest member is Maiwand Safa and general secretary of the party. "Hassan Almrei and the Minister of Citizenship and Immigration and Solicitor General for Canada", "Reasons for Order and Order", 5 December 2005
  9. ^ Shafi, Ahmad. ""The Swordsman": The Taliban's public enemy number one". Foreign Policy. Retrieved 30 May 2019.
  10. ^ "India-based Ustad Sayyaf being seen as leader of anti-Taliban forces". 22 November 2021.